


Apprehendit praevaricationem

by Idikehaine, lyonessheart



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Study of Ancient Runes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-22
Updated: 2015-07-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 02:31:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4162293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idikehaine/pseuds/Idikehaine, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lyonessheart/pseuds/lyonessheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Potter has always been a nuisance, but nobody but Draco was allowed to make his life hell. So now he has to find a way out of the predicament that Potter has gotten himself into.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apprehendit praevaricationem

**Author's Note:**

> **Author's/Artist's Notes:** I have no idea about Latin, so I had to make do with Google Translator. If somebody knows how to translate this correctly, I am open for suggestions.
> 
> Thank you so much dear mods for making this happen from both of us! I am so happy that it worked out in the end! Even though I had a little rocky start, I got so much back in form of my partner in crime who jumped in spontaneously for me and made the wonderful art. 
> 
> She wants to say thank you to me for choosing her, but I feel honoured every time someone makes art for my stories so I have to say thank you as well.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** All Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.

If it weren’t life-threatening and tragic, it would have been funny. Seeing Potter on his doorstep, wearing a fucking collar – that ought to have made his day. But Potter looked pale, sweaty and scared and that was a look he never ever wanted to see on the other man’s face.

“What on earth?” Draco only got out before the man collapsed onto his shoulder.

 

 

The collar was a thing made of evil; it reeked of dark magic, pulsing almost as if it was an entity with a will of its own. Draco half dragged, half carried Potter over to the ottoman and put the unconscious man down. Casting a levitation spell might have been easier, but right now he didn’t know how that thing would react. He’d rather not take his chances and risk the Golden Boy ending up dead.

Upon closer inspection, the collar was made up of some sort of leather embossed with runes; very old runes that seemed to dance in front of his eyes. Almost as if they shifted with every moment that he looked at them. Now that explained why Potter had ended up on his threshold. He could see the first rune – that alone was enough to make him recoil. It aimed to drain and confuse, put in reverse like this. He couldn’t decipher the other runes at the first glance, but he had to try and see if he could deactivate this one rune or if they all had to be deactivated together.

Resolve strengthened, he set out to draw the ritual circle to protect the house. Gathering his mental strength, he began the enchantment.

_“Mando vobis rescindere apprehendit hominis istius virginis reversed Eihwaz”_

The rune twisted and danced, as if it wanted to protest, but dissolved in a puff of putrid yellowing smoke. Draco continued to chant.  
_“Protegam hominis de malo excitávit eum”_

The collar glowed, avada green and hissed, as if trying to speak in parseltongue, but he was having none of  
it.

_“Cedere mea ut”_

Beads of perspiration were growing on his brows, but he continued with the magic that he wrought.

_“Cedere vis volo iubeo tenebras, non est tuus de sumendo”_

And with that the collar took on a silvery sheen, and Potter drew a deep breath.

“You definitely owe me an explanation.” Draco collapsed onto the floor, in an entirely undignified manner, but his limbs felt as if they were made of rubber. Potter blinked at him owlishly as if not understanding entirely what was going on.

“How did you end up with a collar imbued with Runes wrought by Asmodeus?” Draco enquired.

“By whom?” was the very intelligent reply that he received.

“You, Potter, are wearing a collar, which is imbued with demonic runes, and as far as I can tell so far, they have been wrought by someone that we refer to as Asmodeus, the overlord of the nine Hells. I can only speak his name because we are in a protected circle.” Draco felt a headache coming on, and before Potter could ask about Voldemort he continued, “No, it is not the same as Voldemort, but the problem is that while you are wearing this collar, speaking his name would call him directly to us, and since I don’t have any desire to see the depths of hell any earlier than I absolutely have to, please just shut your mouth!”

“Demons? Fuck, why can’t my life be easy for once?” Potter looked at him with such despair that Draco took pity on him.

“I isolated the collar from your magical core for now, but I need to know how you came upon this piece of filth and what in the name of Merlin possessed you to wear it?”

“Well, you see, it was like this,” Potter looked still tired, defeated even, and Draco didn’t like it one bit. “We got a call, concerning a ring of smugglers. You do have clearance right?” He looked at Draco searchingly for a moment or two, waiting for the terse nod, before continuing. Draco felt only a hint of irritation at being questioned, since he hadn’t worked with Potter on a case before, he thought it was all right.

“Well, the bastards are selling artefacts that have the tendency to leave their owners dead. For the last six months, I have been picking up corpses, with their faces drawn in terror. As if they have seen the depths of hell. I am so fucking tired of that.”

“Which is likely, given what you are wearing at the moment,” Draco muttered under his breath.

Potter continued on, “I was on duty with Ron, and we got the call that these guys were faffing about the warehouse down at the docks. Ron wanted to storm right in, but I called for backup.”

Draco felt his eyebrows rise in disbelief.

“Yeah, well, Hermione is heavily pregnant with their first child. And I have seen often enough what the artefacts do to the people that touch them.” Potter was a tad defensive. “So I thought not rushing in was the better alternative.” There was a bitter twist adorning Potter's mouth.

“What happened Potter?” Draco found himself asking quietly.

“Rushing in would have given us an advantage, by waiting they detected our magical signatures. I didn’t know that was even possible, heavily cloaked as we were.” Potter looked tired.

“They have gotten themselves involved with forces that are pure evil, darker than anything Voldemort could have gotten up to. So don’t worry that they noticed you. I am sure your wards were the best that the Aurors can cast.” And what had gotten into him comforting Potter?

“They attacked,” Potter heaved a deep sigh. “But it wasn’t magic that I had seen before. This basically reeked of evil, so I acted on instinct and threw the emergency Portkey to Ron.”

Draco looked at him incredulously. “You gave the Portkey to Ron? Why?”

Potter rubbed his nape subconsciously and continued to talk. “Our emergency Portkeys are on a chain so that people can transport out, but they severed the chain with another spell. So Ron got away and I was stuck. I got hit with a stunner of some kind and woke up chained to an altar. They bragged about the luck to have caught me and said that with me they had fulfilled their part of the bargain with this evil demon. They put the collar on and Disapparated.”

Draco looked at the man, he was still pale but a little colour had returned to his cheeks, and Draco was more than happy about that. It meant, after all, that the isolation had worked.

“You are lucky that they were so cocky. If they had stayed until the draining rune had finished their purpose, he would have claimed you.” Draco felt cold at that statement.

Potter looked at him. “They talked about the runes and the force that would claim me, as I said before. All I could think about was that you are the only curse breaker who deals with such nasty stuff and that I wanted to get to you. Because I know you won’t mollycoddle me and tell me what needs to be done to get me out of this, at the lowest cost.”

Draco sucked a breath in, trust Potter to cut straight to the thing that would hurt, but he said the truth, Draco would not spare him. Being gentle could come later, preferably when Potter was free and they were both still alive.

“What do you know about Runes?” He asked Potter.

“Ancient Runes was not my favourite subject, but I remember that a runic incantation has to be fulfilled, that there is no real way to neutralize a rune, apart from inverting them.”

“You are right, inverting the runes is one way, but fulfilling them is a faster way. And time is of the essence I am afraid. The overlord of hell is not a patient demon, he tends to claim his victims within 24 hours. So I will decipher the runes that are actions, and we will fulfill the requests within the protective circle.

 

 

It was a sign of Potter’s trust, when he simply nodded and allowed Draco access to the collar. He realised that now that he had neutralised the draining rune, the others had settled in, and what he read in them made his blood run cold. He had a way to break Asmodeus’ hold over Harry. He had to call him Harry at least in his mind, if they were going to do what he read in those runes.

The body in his lap shifted a little. “Can you tell me something already?” Harry enquired softly.

Draco took a deep breath. “Well you know about the first one already. This rune basically drains the user of his magic. But there are others.”

 

 

Harry chuckled softly. “Let me guess, they are not much better.”

“You could say that. I won’t bore you with the details, but this collar gives ownership of the wearer's body and soul to the forces the smugglers have made their pact with.”

The only indication of distress was the tightening of Harry’s hand on his thigh.

“So in other words my body belongs to this overlord of hell unless somebody else becomes my owner?”

“Harry, no!” Draco found his hand stroking Harry’s hair. Even though it was an atypical move for him, he wanted to give comfort to the man in his lap. “To own someone does not require permanent ownership. Runes are vague, and even though they might imply a permanent ownership, to break the spell a temporary ownership could be enough.”

Harry relaxed a little, but Draco knew that he would have to drop a bomb that might destroy any chance that there might ever be anything more between them and it hurt him more that he was willing to admit.

“Harry.” Draco felt helpless and he hated it.

“You know, Draco, you never called me by my name. I kinda like it.” Harry almost snuggled into Draco’s lap, which was the only thing that made it possible for him to get the words out that needed to be said.

“Harry, are you gay?” The question was out, and Draco waited.

Harry took a deep breath. “I am going to assume that it is important for our current problem that I answer this. But, yes, I am gay. I thought you knew that already. Office gossip is not kind, and the _Daily Prophet_ had a field day with this.”

“I don’t read that drivel. And I don’t give any attention to the gossip in the Auror Office, given my own proclivities.”

Harry laughed breathlessly. “Is that your way of telling me that you are gay as well?”

“Yes, Harry, I am gay. And given what the only way is to fulfill the demands of the runes, it is lucky that my taste runs towards tall dark haired Aurors.”

“You never said anything.” Harry raised his head.

“It never came up. And I never really knew about you.”

“So we need to have sex?”

“Yes we need to have sex, and I need to claim your body for myself. So I hope you are not unfamiliar with the submissive role?”

Harry’s body shook a little and for a horrifying second Draco thought that he was crying, before he realised that the brunet was laughing.

“Pray tell, what is so funny?” Draco was piqued.

“Oh Draco,” Harry chortled. “Only you would ask me formally if I’d be alright with you fucking me, when there is no real choice, apart from going straight to hell.”

Draco wanted to smack Harry, but was thwarted when the brunet pulled him down into a kiss. Only when  
they broke apart Harry whispered, “I wanted to do that for ages. I am glad that you’ll be the one to own me.”

That statement told Draco more than Harry probably had intended, but for once Draco didn’t care about the power dynamics.

Draco couldn’t quite contain the gentle smile that broke out on his face, and he kissed Harry again, enjoying the pliant body in his arms. He checked the protective circle once more, made sure that the surface was soft enough and lowered them both to the floor. The sight of Harry beneath him, looking up with trust shining from his eyes, took his breath away.

He began the ritual with the words _“Dico te pro me tam corporis quam animi”_ He repeated them in English so that Harry would know what he said: “I claim you for myself, body and soul.” Harry choked out, “I give myself to you.” And it wasn’t Latin but the runes glowed angrily, and Draco heard a distant howl.

 

 

Draco knew that time was of essence so instead of taking things slowly, as he would have preferred, he prepared Harry with some haste, looking closely at his face for signs of discomfort. Harry arched beautifully towards his body, spreading his legs so that Draco could settle between them. Feelings that he hadn’t counted on bubbled up inside of him, spilling over his lips before he could contain them. “You are so beautiful like this, Harry.”

And even though they were both grown men, anything but inexperienced, this felt different. When Draco breached Harry’s opening, he felt strong arms wrap around his shoulder and a face pressed into his shoulder. “Oh god, Draco,” Harry moaned, drawing Draco closer to himself. It was overwhelming, feeling the snug heat, the movement of Harry’s channel massaging his cock, and the incredible intimacy between them. Draco was not a sentimental man, but looking at Harry like this, seeing him so open and vulnerable made him want to stay connected. Thrusting slowly he marveled in the feeling of belonging. The runes had it wrong, Harry did not only belong to him. Draco smiled down on Harry trying to say with his eyes what his mouth was not allowed to say out loud.

_**I belong to you as well** _

His thrusts grew erratic, and Harry clutched at his shoulders, words falling from his lips, like prayer. Draco couldn’t make them out completely and they didn’t really matter. All that he knew was their joined bodies and the fact that he would never be able to let go of Harry after this. He gave part of himself to this man, body and soul, and vice versa. As he felt his orgasm approach the collar began to glow an angry red, and Harry cried out. Draco reached around to stroke Harry’s cock, bringing him off with steady touches.

His own orgasm struck when Harry’s channel clenched around him, and he helplessly spilled his seed into his partner. The collar flared once more and Draco hissed at it.

“You can’t have him. He is mine!”

Later Harry would ask him how he had known what to do, but then and there Draco acted on instinct, gathering some of his own come leaking from Harry’s opening and touching the collar with his wet finger. The thing shrivelled under his finger and broke in two. Only then did Draco pull out and collapse onto the floor breathing heavily.

“Hey.” Harry touched him gently and pushed a wayward lock of hair out of his eyes. Draco wondered if Potter – no, Harry, and who had he been kidding? Potter always had been special to him. Letting go of him now would be hard.

“I can hear you thinking.” Harry’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “I wasn’t lying you know.” He sounded determined, and Draco felt himself oddly compelled to listen. “When I said that I am glad that you’ll be the one to own me. I wanted to ask you out for ages.”

“It is good you didn’t.” Draco heard the words leave his mouth and grabbed Harry’s hand before he could retreat. “Listen, Harry.” He looked at his lover sincerely, and what Harry read in his eyes must have been enough for him to listen to Draco explain. “Breaking the collar’s hold on you like this only worked because you submitted – gave yourself to me without any history between us. If we had been lovers before, then I would have needed to find someone else who would fuck you and that would not have gone down well with me.”

Harry’s eyes widened and he licked his lips.

Draco continued, “You gave yourself to me completely and now you are free, but…” he trailed off lost for words.

Harry pulled him close. “It only worked, because you really wanted me for yourself, right?”

Draco nodded. Sometimes Harry truly was very observant.

“So let me get this straight. You wanted me just as much as I want you.” Harry’s eyes almost glowed.

And Draco couldn’t contain himself. “There is nothing straight about that, but it is the truth, at least.”

Harry barked out a laugh. “I do want dinner with you later, and then we will talk. But right now I want you to take me to bed and make love to me without a demon threatening us.”

And Draco proceeded to do just that.

When Harry came back to the office the following day, he was called onto the scene of a bizarre murder, which had occurred the day before. His colleagues had been called by an older couple, who had been disturbed by the screams that had come out of a nearby building. They swore that nobody had entered or left the house and the magical traces showed this to be true. The three victims were the smugglers that had tried to give Harry to Asmodeus. They wore their own collars and looked as if they had seen straight into the depths of hell, as if they had literally died from fright. A search of the premises showed that no artefacts were left and a note was burned into the wall: “The price has been paid in full.”

**Author's Note:**

> Latin translations as Google gave them to me:
> 
> Mando vobis rescindere apprehendit hominis istius virginis reversed Eihwaz  
> I command you to rescind your hold on this man reversed rune Eihwaz
> 
> Protegam hominis de malo excitávit eum  
> Protect this man from the evil wrought upon him
> 
> Cedere mea ut  
> Yield to me
> 
> Cedere vis volo iubeo tenebras, non est tuus de sumendo  
> I order the darkness to yield, he isn't yours for the taking
> 
> You can leave your comments here or on [LiveJournal](http://hd-collab.livejournal.com/8303.html). :)


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